,,stewardship ,,of ,,the ,,soil ,,worst ,the ,,stewardship ,,of ,,the ,,soil ,illustration ,address by ,,john ,,henry ,,worst ,president of ,,north ,,dakota ,,agricultural ,,college ,the ,stewardship of the ,soil ,,baccalaureate ,,address ,,by ,,john ,,henry ,,worst ,,president ,,north ,,dakota ,,agricultural ,,college ,illustration ,delivered at the ,twenty ,first ,annual ,commencement of the ,north ,dakota ,agricultural ,college ,fargo1 ,north ,dakota1 ,june ,sixth1 ,nineteen ,hundred ,fifteen ,illustration3 ,,john ,,henry ,,worst ,the ,stewardship of the ,soil ,by ,j4 ,h4 ,,worst ,our ambitious young commonwealth1 in conjunction with other states comprising the great ,northwest1 occupies a commanding position in the industrial and economic affairs of this nation4 ,mines of gold and silver or forests primeval ,north ,dakota does not have2 but from the millions of fertile acres comprising our vast agricultural empire1 we may reap a golden harvest every year that will exceed in wealth the output of all the golden placers in the western mountains4 ,the harvest of minerals1 however1 can be gathered but once4 ,time will not restore the precious nuggets4 ,the forests once harvested can1 at great expense1 be renewed in the course of a century2 but our harvest of domestic plants and animals recurs with every passing season to recompense the farmer for his toil and to enrich the farmer's friends4 ,what a precious theme is harvest6 ,the hopes1 the well-being1 the life of the world is fast bound up in the magic of this single word4 ,the soil upon which the harvest depends1 moreover1 is ,god's benediction to humanity4 ,measured by consequences1 ,heaven has vouchsafed no form of stewardship that is fraught with such tremendous responsibilities as this stewardship of the soil4 ,in the final analysis this stewardship represents the farmer's obligation to society4 ,and yet sacred as is the soil and binding as is the farmer's obligation to society1 the means for providing the world's food is nevertheless at his mercy4 ,it is a well-known fact that the soil can readily be depleted of its fertility and thus robbed of its strength by a system of exploitation1 commonly referred to as extensive farming4 ,too much of our land is being thus exploited4 ,on the other hand the productiveness of the soil may be very greatly improved4 ,denmark1 ,belgium1 ,germany1 and other ,european nations have fully demonstrated1 that by the application of science to the art of agriculture1 the productiveness of the soil can be multiplied almost to the limit of necessity4 ,a ,progressive ,agriculture4 ,fortunately ,nature has supplied every means for the development of a progressive and permanent agriculture4 ,it is also obvious that it is man's privilege1 if not his mission1 to improve upon ,nature--to substitute quality for mere physical endurance1 in agricultural products4 ,by the grace of ,providence the individuals of the animal and vegetable kingdoms were not created inflexible in habit or perfect in form1 but they may be changed in character and quality and intrinsic worth at the will of the intelligent and observing farmer4 ,to this end agricultural education lends its beneficent influence4 ,man's dominion over ,nature would be such in name only were it not for the class-room and the laboratory1 for research and investigation2 for by these means scientific knowledge is obtained and diffused and eventually brought to bear upon the solution of the most vital problems that concern the human family4 ,these problems center largely around food and clothing4 ,to supply these necessities an industry is created--the business of agriculture--the most important industry in all the world4 ,an industry of such fundamental importance1 moreover1 should receive from the states and from the federal government financial consideration in proportion to its moral and economic importance as well as to the probabilities that may be entertained for its continued improvement4 ,for abundant as are earth's natural resources1 yet without the aid and direction of human intelligence they could not supply the world's ever increasing population with food1 clothing and shelter4 ,complying with known conditions of natural reciprocity1 however1 the animal and vegetable kingdoms submit to whatever modifications become necessary in order to supply the needs of the human family4 ,nature's ,forces ,operate ,blindly4 ,moved1 therefore1 partly by necessity and partly by curiosity1 the material world has been and is being continually modified by the ingenuity of man4 ,undirected1 however1 ,nature's forces act blindly2 hence1 produce mainly such qualities in organic life as endurance1 or adaptation to local soil and climatic conditions4 ,in the animal and vegetable kingdoms the universal demand of ,nature is to perpetuate their species--to produce after their own kind4 ,in accordance with this law the humblest plant or animal is compelled to maintain a perpetual warfare against its fellows for means of subsistence4 ,this competition for nourishment is usually so sharp and continuous that mere existence or endurance rather than excellence or quality1 seems to be the end and aim of natural law4 ,hence1 the strong survive and the weak perish4 ,beginnings of ,agriculture4 ,here agriculture begins4 ,by relieving plants of this intense competition by means of tillage1 and by selecting the most promising for domestication1 they are enabled to use all their energy for the development of those qualities which add to their intrinsic value1 instead of expending it in the struggle for existence4 ,given1 thus1 free access to the soil and sunshine1 with needful nourishment supplied and their fungous or parasitical enemies destroyed1 the domesticated plants yield trustful obedience to the protecting hand of the husbandman4 ,freed altogether from the necessity of self-protection they become prolific and pour into the world's bread basket in marvelous abundance the seeds--a single one of which would suffice to answer ,nature's law for the propagation of species4 ,this surplus of yield for which each plant has need of but a single seed1 and more especially this improvement of quality for which the plant has no concern1 is ,nature's reciprocal reward for having given her children gratuitously that protection which otherwise they would have had to provide for themselves4 ,nor is animal life less susceptible of improvement4 ,between the animal wild and the animal domesticated--that is whether ,nature-bred or man-bred--the range in quality is as marked as that which separates the savage from the philosopher4 ,nature demands only strength1 endurance2 but man demands quality and excellence1 and he proceeds scientifically to accomplish his purpose4 ,by conscious design and a sort of mental architecture the animal to be is planned1 and the picture thus conceived in the brain of the breeder becomes incarnated in the form1 size and character of the animal4 ,not only is the animal created with the desired quality as to its parts and products1 but its nature is transformed from fear and ferocity to that of trust and docility4 ,for example the descendants of the wild horse are not only changed from vicious brutes to trustful beasts of burden1 but are also differentiated into many different breeds to meet the demands of strength1 speed or endurance4 ,specimens of such breeds as the ,belgian1 ,percheron or ,hambletonian exist as monuments to the breeder's art no less renowned and for more useful purpose than anything in ,nature1 the likeness of which the sculptor has wrought in marble or the artist has transferred from life to canvass4 ,from the wild buffalo1 presumably1 the ideal strains of pedigree kine1 for beef or dairy products1 have been created as surely and even more scientifically than the sculptor has immortalized his ideals in granite or marble4 ,thus animal life is to the skillful breeder as clay in the hands of the potter1 and though a supersensitive and artificial generation may look upon this form of genius as vulgar1 it nevertheless is ,god's work and the doers thereof are working with ,god4 ,for without this incarnation of quality into plant and animal life the world's population could not supply its fundamental wants nor could civilization rise above the animal instincts in man4 ,the farmer1 therefore1 is a most important personage1 and his vocation the most absolutely needful in all the world4 ,the farmer is in very truth a creator1 certainly a co-creator1 improving ,nature by the aid of science1 just as the human mind and character are improved by means of education4 ,and when the prejudice of the ages has been rolled away the name farmer will rank among the most envied names that enrich our mother tongue4 ,here1 indeed1 may be verified the saving3 ,the first shall be last and the last shall be first4 ,while we honor the sculptor1 the painter or the poet whose genius partakes of the immortal1 and yet satisfies no hungry mouth1 some degree of honor might well be given to this other sort of genius which has multiplied human food beyond computation and has otherwise so largely mitigated the burdens of life4 ,vocational ,education4 ,from the foregoing it is little wonder that the education of the masses is surely and rapidly gravitating from the classical to the utilitarian1 from the formal to the vocational4 ,the world's work must be done1 and as those whose stewardship is the soil are compelled to render a combined physical and mental service in order to discharge their social obligations1 they are entitled to education in harmony with the tasks awaiting them1 to the end that they may work intelligently1 hence joyfully4 ,agriculture and engineering1 therefore1 are fundamental vocations when considered either from the view-point of necessity or the country's prosperity4 ,by many1 however1 the spiritual well-being of a people is considered paramount1 and in a sense it is1 but a cheerful soul seldom inhabits a naked or hungry body4 ,as food1 clothing and shelter are absolute necessities1 no degree of culture or religious enthusiasm can render them less needful4 ,heaven's choicest physical gift1 the soil1 provides the means for acquiring these indispensable necessities1 and the vocation that accepts the responsibility of its stewardship ministers to the physical1 as educators minister to the mental1 or the clergy to the spiritual needs of man4 ,moreover1 in the order of ,nature the physical takes precedence1 being primary and basic1 and until legitimate physical wants are supplied1 neither mental nor spiritual food can be satisfactorily assimilated4 ,a commonwealth1 therefore1 that educates her children in due proportion to and in harmony with the demands of her principal industry1 acts the part of wisdom4 ,in this the state becomes the servant of both present and future generations by training her children for the conservation of ,nature's gifts1 while yet multiplying their use for the comfort and happiness of all the people4 ,if the clergy would preach occasionally from the book of ,nature1 they would discover a proximity to and dependence upon ,god enjoyed by him who sows and reaps1 who cultivates animals and flowers1 who creates things and works miracles as his ordinary life work1 which few others can enjoy4 ,such themes might not only be expounded with profit to those who work their fellowmen1 but should also be impressed betimes upon those who work the soil for the good of their fellowmen4 ,the ,paramount ,problem4 ,the paramount problem1 therefore1 is to make the conditions of rural life desirable--to convert farming into an enjoyable vocation2 to make farm life and its labors a business to be envied and not despised4 ,the fact is1 planning for beauty and comfort in the city has progressed far and away beyond the country4 ,it now but remains for the country to catch up and go the city many times better4 ,this is entirely possible1 since the great out doors is a country heritage and ample spaces are available for exterior delights such as trees1 shrubbery and flowers1 and for free access to abundance of pure air and sunshine4 ,moreover1 we should not forget that we are now living in a new world4 ,the old agriculture and its associated rural industries have been shaken to their very foundation4 ,this makes the solution of the rural problem1 to some extent1 speculative4 ,for one thing the country is becoming urbanized4 ,this may prove helpful4 ,again it may not4 ,individualism1 however1 is giving place more and more to commercialized enterprise4 ,at the same time the evils of transient tenantry follow close upon the heels of successful farming1 where farmers rent their land and move to town2 and also of unsuccessful farming1 where the mortgage shark eventually becomes possessed of the land4 ,what the state needs to encourage1 therefore1 is farm ownership by the many rather than by the few1 and farm ownership rather than farm tenantry4 ,we must retain on the farm1 as farmers1 the best type of ,american manhood and womanhood or the nation will fall into decay1 just as ,rome fell with the decline of her agrarian influence4 ,the consolidated country school1 by rendering obsolete the one room district school house1 is a progressive step toward improved educational facilities for rural children4 ,the country church1 on the other hand1 has become more decadent than aggressive4 ,this among other rural agencies is not organized in proportion to its importance4 ,some progress1 however1 is being made by means of social organizations1 but the ultimate solution of the rural problem depends more largely upon education than upon any other single factor4 ,rural ,social ,leaders4 ,rural social leaders in full sympathy with the country life movement will find here a fruitful field for earnest endeavor4 ,to no class should the state look for such leadership1 and with so much assurance1 as to the alumni of its ,agricultural ,college4 ,educated at public expense and in an institution of higher learning that stands specifically for all-round rural improvement and rural patriotism1 the students that go out from this college cannot misinterpret their duties nor fail to understand the responsibilities they assume as graduates of the ,north ,dakota ,agricultural ,college4 ,nor is their field of labor an unenviable one4 ,it may at times seem irksome1 even discouraging1 but nevertheless it is the most exalted and dignified calling to which men and women of special training and culture can aspire4 ,to rescue the soil from the indifference and greed and selfishness wherein this generation unwittingly robs succeeding generations of their rightful inheritance1 and to rescue the very vocation of agriculture from mercenary interests is a mission worthy of the best leadership and patriotism of our day4 ,but it must not stop even at this4 ,the public welfare demands that nearly half the population of the entire country1 and certainly four-fifths of the population of this state1 shall permanently pursue agriculture for a livelihood4 ,this vocation1 therefore1 must be made so desirable and satisfying that that number will joyfully accept it as a matter of free choice4 ,it must be so developed that it will afford an unsurpassed market for energy and brains1 and so independent of parasitical interests that when two bushels of wheat are grown where one now grows the producer will receive the benefit4 ,increased ,production ,not ,sufficient4 ,hitherto the agencies for rural improvement1 both state and federal1 have directed their energies chiefly toward increased production4 ,and this with but scant consideration for profits that should be realized by the producer as a result of the larger yields4 ,material prosperity1 however1 is not a sufficient motive1 except where it assuredly is used to improve the moral and social conditions of the community life4 ,to double the yield of crops without doubling the enjoyments of living and improving home comforts accordingly1 will avail but little toward developing rural conditions that will withstand the competition and false allurements of the city4 ,urban ,degeneracy4 ,a nation's strength1 moreover1 is a matter of blood and brain fiber4 ,urban degeneracy is an accepted biological fact4 ,the dissipation1 lack of physical exercise in the open air1 and high pressure living and working leaves in its trail a progeny diminishing in numbers and decadent in those high qualities essential to good government4 ,democracy1 as a permanent institution1 however1 is not yet an assured fact4 ,the experiment of self-government is still in the making4 ,its perpetuity cannot be predicated upon scheming traders1 money brokers and political manipulators1 but must depend in the last analysis upon the solid phlegm and conservatism of its rural districts where men are too busy with productive labor to scheme for political office or unearned wealth4 ,in other words1 and ,i speak it with sincerity1 the rural population conserves the real dependable life blood of this nation4 ,it is an accepted fact that in every crisis of our country's history the rural population was not only on the side of right1 but ready to defend the nation's honor with their votes or with their blood4 ,when the nation's debt was appalling and money poured into the national treasury in but feeble currents1 the tariffs that replenished it again were borne like a young ,hercules by the farming class1 though they received but a minimum of its protection4 ,every influence1 therefore1 that tends to exalt agriculture as a profession1 and farming as a desirable mode of life1 whether it be intellectual1 political1 ethical or spiritual1 is for the general welfare4 ,the time is not far distant1 let us hope and pray1 when agriculture will cast off the thralldom of the ages and assert her own4 ,but not until the sons and daughters of the country1 trained for rural social and industrial service1 as you are being trained1 assert an aggressive leadership1 with genuine patriotism for the needs of the open country1 will the domination of ulterior interests be removed and agriculture made free to manage its educational institutions and business affairs1 in part at least1 for its own good4 ,the ,rural ,school ,problem4 ,since education is the governing factor1 especially so far as it directs the attitude of rural children toward rural conditions1 the country school should be so redirected and revitalized as to stir into action community forces which are now dormant2 and to make the rural school a strong and efficient social center1 working for the upbuilding of all the varied interests of a healthy rural life4 ,the redirection of rural education means that the school is to abandon its city ideals and standards1 except as these are adaptable to rural as well as to city schools1 and to develop its instruction with reference to its environment and the local interests and needs4 ,the main efforts of its instruction should be to put its pupils into sympathetic touch with the rural life about them1 in which the great majority of them ought to find their future homes4--,cubberley4 ,the away-from-the-farm-influence of rural education which has in the past proved a serious handicap to rural progress and open country pursuits1 would thus be materially counteracted4 ,quoting ,cubberley again3 ,the uniform text-books which have been introduced by law1 were books written primarily for the city child2 the graded course of study was a city course of study2 the ideals of the school become1 in large part1 city and professional in type2 and the city-educated and city-trained teachers have talked of the city1 over-emphasized the affairs of the city1 and sighed to get back to the city to teach4 ,the subjects of instruction have been formal and traditional1 and the course of instruction has been designed more to prepare for entrance to a city or town high school than for life in the open country4 ,so far as the school has been vocational in spirit1 it has been the city vocations and professions for which it has tended to prepare its pupils1 and not the vocations of the farm and the home4 ,then says ,roosevelt3 ,our school system is gravely defective in so far as it puts a premium upon mere literary training and tends1 therefore1 to train the boy away from the farm and workshop4 ,nothing is more needed than the best type of an industrial school1 the school for mechanical industries in the cities and for teaching agriculture in the country4 ,no growth of cities1 no growth of wealth can make up for any loss in either the number or the character of the farming population4 ,we of the ,united ,states should realize this above most other people4 ,we began our existence as a nation of farmers1 and in every crisis of the past a peculiar dependence has had to be placed upon the farming population1 and this dependence has hitherto been justified4 ,the ,rural ,church ,problem4 ,no permanent rural civilization1 however1 can be maintained that will attach the population to the soil with satisfaction and contentment without provision being made for enjoying religious services among people of their own kind and class4 ,this necessitates a social and religious center for every rural community4 ,the church can and should be made such social center4 ,for economic and social reasons1 however1 denominationalism can well be dispensed with1 as such1 and just plain ,christianity substituted for sectarianism4 ,a social center thus maintained will stimulate neighborly intercourse and satisfy the demands of both young and old for religious culture1 for recreation and pastime4 ,where schools are consolidated the school house and grounds will answer for all gatherings whether for worship1 for the discussion of civic or neighborhood problems or for recreation and amusement4 ,for without such neighborhood intercourse1 life deteriorates into a dull routine1 and the moral and religious tone of a community1 degenerates4 ,moreover1 under such conditions1 young people become disgusted with its monotony and aimlessness1 and seek city employment4 ,but before the country church can be made an efficient community force1 pastors must be found or created that meet the conditions of country life4 ,a most excellent city pastor might prove to be a regrettable misfit in a rural community4 ,moreover1 the modern clergy seem quite as prone to herd in the towns and cities as the rest of mankind1 which fact has a bad influence on the youth of the country4 ,quoting from ,rural ,life and ,education3 ,the rural minister needs economic and agricultural knowledge more than theological1 that he may use the economic and agricultural experiences of his people as a basis for the building-up of their ethical life2 he needs educational knowledge1 that he may direct his efforts with the young along good pedagogical lines2 and the church as an institution needs to study carefully the rural-life problem1 and to plan a program of useful service along good educational and sociological lines4 ,unless this is done1 the church will bear but little relationship to a living community2 its influence on the young will be small2 and its mission of moral and religious leadership will be forgotten by the people4 ,other ,agencies for ,rural ,improvement4 ,in addition to providing country schools and employing rural school teachers as efficient as the best in the towns1 and the country church reawakened and converted into an efficient institution for progress1 the ,grange1 farmers' clubs1 the ,y4 ,m4 and ,y4 ,w4 ,c4 ,a41 the rural library1 boys and girls' clubs1 farmers' institutes1 woman's clubs1 literary and debating societies and amateur theatricals1 of which the ,little ,country ,theatre is the best exponent1 can with profit be incorporated into the life of every rural community that maintains a social center1 and that takes genuine pride in making country life what the possibilities so readily warrant4 ,no one of these separate organizations1 even though fully developed and earnestly supported1 will altogether satisfy the needs of a community4 ,no one of them should be over-emphasized for its own sake alone1 for each is but a part of the community need4 ,all are needed4 ,the friends of each1 therefore1 should work for all and all work for each1 and becoming thus federated1 they will prove to be a positive force and establish1 beyond question1 a community spirit satisfactory to old and young alike4 ,a sufficient number of these rural social institutions to meet the changed conditions of modern life is as essential as a progressive and highly contented agriculture2 for without such institutions agriculture will decline until on a level with the peasantry of other and less favored countries4 ,for just in proportion as agriculture advances or declines will the prosperity of the people rise or fall1 and the integrity of our government be stable or questionable4 ,this fact has been clearly demonstrated in the history of nations2 hence1 stewardship of the soil embraces not only conservation of its fertility1 but the fostering of such social institutions and educational forces as may be necessary to support a rural civilization that will minister to all the physical1 mental and spiritual wants of a highly intellectual and permanent population4 ,said ,james ,a4 ,garfield3 ,the higher education of the village and city youth1 together with a modicum of the country youth1 with only the fifth to eighth grade for the best blood of the state may stand for the educator's ideals1 but it is bad for the country as a whole4 ,it tends to make aristocrats of the poorest and slaves of the best blood4 ,education is for all1 not for a favored few4 ,the ,morrill ,act4 ,the ,morrill ,act of #ahfb was the first important step toward the emancipation of agriculture4 ,the establishment of the ,land ,grant ,colleges was the biggest piece of constructive legislation that ,congress has enacted during the past century4 ,by means of higher education thus redirected and vitalized1 industrial independence will ultimately be realized4 ,but the work moves slowly4 ,however1 in spite of ridicule and unmerited handicaps1 and even the contempt of too many of the farming class1 these institutions have grown steadily in influence and power4 ,the ,north ,dakota ,agricultural ,college directs its energies toward a system of education that at once affords all the means of culture and character building that collegiate courses of study can offer1 yet without departing materially from giving special emphasis to those subjects which are directly related to the homes and the chief industry of the state4 ,the purpose is not only to increase production as a means of profit and to render helpful social service1 but to make farm life and rural conditions so agreeable and satisfying that the choice of agricultural pursuits1 on the part of educated young people1 will prove as popular and inviting as that of any other industry or profession4 ,this is not an impossibility4 ,from an educational view-point no vocation exceeds agriculture in the material available for calling out the best there is in man1 spiritually or intellectually4 ,from a social view-point1 the country represents the purest and most neighborly sympathies4 ,and from an industrial view-point it is the state's support and should be the state's pride4 ,north ,dakota will expand in wealth and influence1 therefore1 in proportion as she throws wide open the door of agricultural opportunity for the young people of the state4 ,this she can best accomplish by means of public education expressed in terms of rural life4 ,after twenty years of service as ,president of your ,agricultural ,college1 ,i find that my chief gratification comes from having associated daily with a loyal and dependable faculty and with so many clean1 ambitious and sympathetic young men and women4 ,in you and the thousands of ,agricultural ,college students scattered over this and adjoining states1 many of them having already won enviable distinction by their public services1 and all giving evidence of most exemplary citizenship1 ,i not only take sincere pride but also find my chief reward4 ,others may scheme for wealth or fame1 but for one at my time in life1 ,i would not exchange the friendship of the ,agricultural ,college student body1 past and present1 for earthly riches or personal honor4 ,i have implicit faith in the future of our ,agricultural ,college as ,i have in this great agricultural state4 ,her broad acres are being rapidly occupied by a progressive and enterprising husbandry4 ,her cities and villages keep pace with her rural development4 ,the dreams of the pioneers are fast becoming realities4 ,the erstwhile home of the red man and the feeding ground of the bison1 are destined soon to be thickly dotted over with luxurious farmsteads1 made beautiful by the arts of civilization and prosperous by the skill and industry of a happy and contented rural population4 ,students of the ,agricultural ,college1 your mission lies in this direction4 ,your influence upon the future development of this state will be as certain as it will be beneficient4 ,the door of opportunity stands ajar1 inviting you to enter and share the blessings that reward the industrious and reap the honors that crown the lives of those whose stewardship has been faithfully kept4 ,may no temptation ever swerve you from loyalty to the cause which your alma mater represents4 ,too often the enemies of industrial freedom capture with the blandishments of vanity1 the trusted leaders of reform4 ,let your hearts1 therefore1 ever beat true for the best there may be in store for those whose sweat fertilizes the business of the state4 ,the cause of the people should ever be your cause1 and having received your education largely at their expense1 spare not a generous service in return for the academic honors that now await you4